Pope Leo XIV: We should allow \u2018ourselves to be challenged\u2019 by those who suffer Pope Leo XIV said we should \u201callow ourselves to be challenged\u201d by the presence of those who suffer \u201cwithout fear of abandoning our own security\u201d during an audience this week with the general chapters of two women\u2019s religious congregations with strong missionary outreaches. The two orders present were the Religious of Jesus and Mary, founded by St. Claudine Th\u00e9venet, and the Missionary Sisters of St. Charles Borromeo, known as the Scalabrinians, who are dedicated to the pastoral care of migrants and refugees. During his Nov. 6 address at the Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father noted that both congregations, though they originated in different circumstances, were founded \u201cout of the same love for the poor.\u201d Specifically, he noted that St. Claudine Th\u00e9venet and the Religious of Jesus and Mary served \u201cyoung women in difficult situations,\u201d while St. Giovanni Battista Scalabrini, Blessed Assunta Marchetti, and Venerable Don Giuseppe Marchetti, founders of the Scalabrinians, served migrants. The pope urged the sisters to spend these days \u201chumbly listening to God and in courageous attention to the needs of others.\u201d \u201cThis requires courage, so as to let ourselves be challenged by the presence of those who suffer, without fear of abandoning our own security, and to venture, if the Lord asks it, onto new paths,\u201d he noted. The pope also highlighted the profound harmony between the guiding themes chosen by both congregations for their chapters: \u201cJesus himself drew near\u201d (Lk 24:15) for the Religious of Jesus and Mary, and \u201cWherever you go, I will go\u201d (Ruth 1:16) for the Scalabrinian missionaries. \u201cThese are complementary themes,\u201d the pope affirmed, \u201cbecause they express the dynamics of your foundations. Indeed, they bring together God\u2019s initiative and our response.\u201d \u2018The most important insights are gained on our knees\u2019 \u201cDuring these days,\u201d the pope said, \u201cmay he always be at the center. Give plenty of space, then, to prayer and silence throughout the course of your work \u2026 the most important insights are gained \u2018on our knees,\u2019 and what matures in the meeting rooms of the chapter needs to be sown and sifted before the tabernacle and in listening to the word.\u201d The Holy Father emphasized that listening to God and listening to one another are inseparable. \u201cOnly by listening to the Lord,\u201d he affirmed, \u201cdo we learn to truly listen to one another.\u201d Pope Leo also recalled the difficult circumstances in which both institutes were founded: the French Revolution for the Religious of Jesus and Mary, and an era of mass emigration for the Scalabrinians. \u201cNone of them backed down or became discouraged,\u201d the pontiff emphasized, \u201ceven in the face of the difficulties that arose after their foundations.\u201d He pointed out that the secret of such fidelity lies precisely in the \u201cencounter with the risen Jesus. That is where it all began for them and also for you. That is where we begin and from where we start again, when necessary, in order to carry on with courage and tenacity in spending ourselves in charity,\u201d he encouraged. This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA\u2019s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. Receive the most important news from EWTN Vatican via WhatsApp. It has become increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. Subscribe to our free channel today EWTN Vatican on WhatsApp Victoria Cardiel Would you like to receive the latest updates on the Pope and the Vatican Receive articles and updates from our EWTN Newsletter. More news related to this article Pope Leo XIV Begins His Pontificate: A Vision for Peace, Unity, and a New Industrial Age The Maid: Film Depicting Spanish Saint’s Fight for Women’s Rights in the 19th Century Pope Leo XIV calls Christians to ecumenism to be architects of reconciliation and peace PHOTOS: Pope Francis Marks Immaculate Conception in Rome with Prayer, Surprise Art Visit Non-Catholic delegates put Christian unity in focus at Synod on Synodality An afternoon with the new Swiss Guards: Preparing for a mission of faith and service<\/p>\n